US pre-open: Futures trade higher ahead of FOMC minutes
By Iain Gilbert
Date: Wednesday 18 Feb 2026
(Sharecast News) - Wall Street futures were in the green ahead of the bell on Wednesday as market participants awaited minutes from the Federal Reserve's most recent policy meeting after the close.
As of 1230 GMT, Dow Jones futures were up 0.49%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures had the indices opening 0.54% and 0.61% firmer, respectively.
The Dow closed 32.26 points higher on Tuesday as traders returned to their desks after the Presidents' Day holiday in a cautious mood following recent falls.
Futures traded higher prior to the open as investors looked ahead to minutes from the Federal Reserve's January meeting at 1900 GMT, though the week's primary focus will likely be Friday's personal consumption expenditure price index. The PCE reading - the central bank's preferred measure of inflation - was expected to offer a clearer view of underlying economic momentum.
Elsewhere on the macro front, mortgage applications rose 2.8% in the week ended 14 February, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, partially reversing the roughly 20% cumulative decline seen over the previous three weeks. The modest pickup came as benchmark mortgage rates slipped by four basis points, edging back toward the 16‑month lows reached in late January.
Applications to refinance a mortgage, which are typically more sensitive to short‑term rate movements, jumped 7% on the week. However, applications for mortgages to purchase a home fell 3%, with the MBA noting that limited new supply continued to keep many prospective buyers on the sidelines.
Still to come, both November and December building permits and housing starts figures were slated for release at 1330 GMT, as was December durable goods orders data, while January industrial production and capacity utilisation numbers will follow at 1415 GMT.
In the corporate space, Booking Holdings, Ebay, and Molson Coors will all report their latest quarterly figures after the close.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com
Email this article to a friend
or share it with one of these popular networks:
You are here: news
10 Lower Thames St,
London EC3R 6EN